All Over the Map

Several Canadian provinces and territories have taken significant steps to address their contributions to climate change. The David Suzuki Foundation's latest assessment of provincial climate change plans, All Over the Map 2012, highlights the range of ambition and results that we are seeing across the country. The following maps illustrate some of the report's key findings.

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Yukon

Strengths

Climate action plan commitment to 20 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from government operations by 2015.

Commitment to carbon-neutral internal operations by 2020.

Commitment to 20 per cent increase in both energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2020.

Eliminated both Climate Change Secretariat and Office of Energy Conservation.

Substantial cuts to renewable energy programs.

No plan to end overreliance on coal-fired power plants.

Province overview

GHG emissions
74.8 Mt

GHG emissions per capita
68.8 tonnes

Emissions growth since 1990
72.0%

Highest Emitting Sector
Oil and Gas

Quebec

Strengths

Strongest North American target for reducing GHG emissions (20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020).

Enacted regulations in January 2012 with state of California to cap and reduce industrial emissions, however, the rules will need to be strengthened over time to support the province's binding emission targets.

Brought in California-level vehicle fuel-efficiency regulations in January 2010.

Set goal for 25 per cent of all new vehicles to be electric by 2020.

Continues to dedicate considerable resources to public transportation.

Manitoba

Effectively shut down the province's only coal-fired power plant by banning non-emergency use of coal.

Adopted standards for large appliances, Power Smart programs and a strong green building strategy.

Substantially increased minimum energy efficiency of furnaces and hot water heaters sold in Manitoba.

Green Energy Equipment Tax Credit expanded to include solar, as well as geothermal.

Acting on carbon stores with announcement of two new protected areas and commitment made to develop a new boreal peatlands stewardship strategy.

Energy retrofit programs initiated for First Nations communities and housing developments in Winnipeg.

Weaknesses

In 2008, the Manitoba government lowered its GHG emission reduction target from 18 per cent below 1990 by 2010 to six per cent below 1990 by 2012. According to Manitoba's auditor general, the current climate action plan is unlikely to meet even this reduced target.

The only carbon tax in Manitoba is on coal, which is not commonly used in the province.

Manitoba reneged on its commitment to adopt California vehicle emission standards, ignoring the recommendation of its own Vehicle Standards Advisory Board.

Failure to meaningfully tackle emissions from road transportation has resulted in substantial increases in car commuting and a decrease in the use of public transit.

Several Canadian provinces and territories have taken significant steps to address their contributions to climate change. The David Suzuki Foundation's latest assessment of provincial climate change plans, All Over the Map 2012, highlights the range of ambition and results that we are seeing across the country. The following maps illustrate some of the report's key findings.

Alberta

Strengths

Adopted green building policy for new government-owned facilities.

90 per cent of electricity for Alberta government buildings comes from green power sources.

Met its goal to have 12.5 per cent of its total electricity by 2008 generated from renewable and alternative sources.

Continues to be the largest GHG emitter in Canada. Emissions have increased more than any other province since 1990.

Oil sands industry responsible for more than one third of Canada's GHG emission increases since 1990.

Climate strategy allows Alberta's GHG emissions to keep growing until 2020 and a recent analysis of the plan concludes the province will likely only achieve one third of its emission reduction goal for 2020.

Strategy assumes 70 per cent of atmospheric GHG emission reductions after 2020 will be achieved through unproven CCS technology while the province fails to support the policies to spur required innovation and clean technology deployment.

Alberta's $15/tonne partial carbon price applies to only 12 per cent of emissions from large industrial polluters. Two-for-one offset credits to companies participating in CCS projects fail to encourage companies to reduce their pollution.

No plan to reduce coal-fired power, which is responsible for approximately 65 per cent of Alberta's electricity generation.